The musical is based on the 1935 film of the same name,[1] with music by Irving Berlin.[2] It took the show's producer, Kenny Wax, sixteen months to obtain the rights from Berlin's estate to adapt the film into a stage musical.[3] A first read-through of the adapted script was held at Sadler's Wells[4] in November 2010,[5] and it was performed for the first time 76 years after the original film.[6] The show features fourteen songs by Berlin, six more songs than the original production.[6] Featuring a 31-person cast,[2] the production was adapted from the original screenplay by Matthew White and Howard Jacques.[7] The show was directed by White with choreography by Bill Deamer,[8] set designs by Hildegard Bechtler, costume design by Jon Morrell, lighting by Peter Mumford, sound by Gareth Owen, new orchestrations by Chris Walker and musical supervision by Richard Balcombe.[9]

The producers for the original tour and the West End production originally approached Anton du Beke to play Jerry Travers,[10] before casting Strictly Come Dancing winner Tom Chambers[11] in the role originated by Fred Astaire.[10] During the competition Chambers was compared to Astaire,[3] his hero.[12] Astaire's daughter was in the audience for the show's opening in London, and described Chambers as "wonderful": "There will always be comparisons, but what this show has done is bring a version to the world to see for the future".[13] Two of Berlin's daughters described the show as "a beautiful production": "It could definitely give new life to these songs and to Top Hat for a younger generation".[14]

After its world premiere, most Top Hat critics appreciated the spectacle but agreed that the plot was weak; “the plot, for want of a better word, doesn't bear too much close inspection”, said Christopher Hart in the Sunday Times.[39] The musical was also criticised for its length. “The second half could be cut down by a good 15 minutes“, according to Exeunt magazine.[40]

Michael Billington of The Guardian wrote, “The evening can be quickly summed up as 'great songs, daft book'".[41] Paul Taylor of The Independent said, “The producers of this irresistible show, a freely adapted version of the Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers movie, don't subscribe to the precept of deferred gratification”.[42]London Evening Standard critic Henry Hitchings described the show as “a bit slow hitting its stride”.[43]

Top Hat received positive reviews on blogs, with Zoe Craig describing it on the Londonist as “pure, fun, cheery escapist entertainment”.[44] Bechtler's set design and Deamer’s choreography were praised (“This clever collaboration is clearly evident in every scene transition as the cast dance and interact with the set, making the whole changeover seem like a fluid part of the story")[45] on BestOfTheatre.